Grounding device



2,1 WAM May 3, i938. c. G. BoNDEsoN GROUNDING DEVICE Filed July l5, 1933 2 SheetS--Shee'b l IN VENT OR llllmazumnn Mw 3, 193s. C. G. BONDSON 2,116,474

GROUNDING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JVENTOR twofscrewsfor securing'the aws together.

Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED f STATES GROUNDING DEVICE Carl G. Bondescn, Terryville, Conn., .assignor .to The AndrewTerry Company, Terryville, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 15, 1933, Serial No. 680,600

5 Claims.

`This invention relates to devices for grounding electrical systems and the :conduits and `apparatus employed therein.

yAn object of this invention is to provide a grounding :devicewliich .is very easily and con- Aiveriiently attachable to a water Ipipe or `other :grounding pipe `or rod, and yet make a rigid, se-

cure Aand goo-d electrical connection with the grounding pipe or rod.

Heretoiore, the fitting `was secured to the groundingpipepbya .fixed jaw and a loose jaw and With such devices, it 4was necessary toloosen `the two screws `and remove one of them from the fitting, #then place `the fixed jaw against the lgrounding ipipe, Ithen yplace the loose Ajaw and Yreplace the `removed screw in the fitting, and tighten yup "the two screws. `According -to `lfherpresent invention, there are a fixed jaw and "a movable `jaw, but the movable jaw is carried lby a single screw threaded 'in one leg of `a U-shaped fitting, `so

, vthat merely by running up the screw the space between `the jaws is enlarged `to permit the :pipe to be inserted. After this has been done, the

screw is run down and the jaws 'are tightly `clarmzied against the grounding pipe.

Although the jaw is `pivotally carried bythe end -of the adjusting screw, 'it is @preferably `held against turning so -as to make :it convenient to n., use, :and this :is accomplished by making one s'ide of the flat and having it arrangedin posivtion -to engage the base of the U-shaped fixture. Another object `of this invention is to provide 1a tting which is flexible between the two x'- `tures of which it is composed.

Heretofore, in grounding fittings, it was "proposed to have two xtures, one for engagement with the-grounding pipe-and the other for engagement with the Aground wire vconduitand 'to have A:these two xtures rotatably connected together. According to the `present invention, this may be done when convenient. However, on 'occasions it isnot convenient, vespecially when .the conduit pipe for the grounding wire isfcut too short or f cannot be brought close to `the grounding pipe.

Aiurtherobject of this invention is to provide a ground pipe engaging fixture which, when connected to a like fixture by a suitable conductor, may vbe `used to shunt around meter boxes, etc., and form a good electrical connection between pipes entering and leaving the meter box.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ground pipe engaging xture which may be connected to a grounding wire conduit, or the `iiexible Aconnecting strap above referred lto, or the jumper wire last referred to, at either of two `.places located at right angles with relation to each other so that if it is more convenient the conduit xture strap or jumper `may be secured either to the portion of the U-shaped member which constitutes `its base or that portion which `constitutes the leg of lthe 'U `having the solid jaw.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l shows the present invention applied to arigidground tting.

Fig. 2 shows `two ground pipe `engaging xtures, of the kind shown in Fig. l, connected together by a jumper and constituting a meter shunt.

Fig. 3 shows the grounding pipe fixture and the conduit and ground wire fixture separatedibut connected together by a flexible member.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the conduit pipe fixture shown inFigs. l and 3.

Fig. 5 is a iront View of the ground wire fixture.

Fig. 6 is a modification of the device shown in Fig. 3.

'In the form `of the invention illustrated herein,

which is .the form `at present preferred, the fixture Iii is intended to grip the grounding pipe or rod while the fixture I I is intended to receive the conduit containing the grounding wire. For this purpose, the iixture Il is provided with a threaded collar l2 in which the ground wire conduit is threaded. The xture Il has a table-like portion I3 onto which the grounding wire issuing from the "pipe may be placed to be secured in place under alug I4 or other suitable device.` `If desired, thegrounding wire may be soldered in the lug I4. The table-like portion I3 has projections. I5 which 'hold the lug Id yfrom turning.

'The grounding xture, according to the present invention, is U-shaped and has opposite legs' I 6 .and Il and a .cross or base member I8. The leg I'I has a V-shaped clamping jaw I9 provided with serrations or teeth 20 adapted toengage and `biteinto the grounding pipe.

Heretofore, the jaw cooperating with :the `fixed jaw was made separable and was provided with a pair of screws, one on each end, to draw the movable jaw toward the xed jaw. In order to apply the grounding xture to the grounding pipe, it was therefore necessary to loosen both of the screws and completely remove one of the screws so as to allow the pipe to pass in between the jaws. Then the removed screw had to be replaced and the two screws drawn up more or less evenly to clamp the movable jaw on the pipe opposite the fixed jaw. In some instances, this was found inconvenient, especially where the grounding pipe was located in a hole or well.

According to the present invention, the necessity of removingr a screw from the grounding fixture is completely obviated and the movable jaw is always held in position to properly engage the grounding pipe.

To accomplish this, the present invention has a movable jaw 2i, also V-shaped, and having teeth 22, and this jaw is rotatably carried on the i end of a screw 23 which is threaded into the leg I 6 of the grounding xture so that by rotating the screw the jaw 2l will be moved toward and from the jaw i9. The distance between the legs I6 and I'I is such that any size pipe over a large range for which the device is designed may be inserted between the jaws.

To hold the jaw 2l in proper position to engage the pipe, the side 24 thereof is made flat and so is the surface 25 of the base of the U. Hence, these substantially flat surfaces will engage when the jaw 2l tends to rotate and the rotation of the jaw will be restricted so that the jaw 2l never becomes so much out of alignment that the jaw I9 has to prevent the jaw 2l from seating itself securely on the pipe when the screw 23 is turned down.

Ihe apexes of the V-shaped jaws I9 and 2| are oii'set or displaced so as to apply a greater portion of the pressure to the inner part IQa, of the jaw I9 rather than the weaker outer part ISU, and so as to tend to cant the screw 23 in the threaded aperture 2B in the leg I6 and thereby avoid loosening of the screw by vibration and obviate the need for a lock nut on the screw.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the fixture Il! is provided with a cylindrical boss 21 and the fixture II is provided with a recess to receive the boss. Concentric with the boss 2l, the fixture Il] has screw-threads 28 and when the fixtures I and EI are to be secured together as sh-own in Fig. l, a screw 29 passes down through the table-like portion of the fixture II into the screw-threaded portion 28 of the xture I0 and holds the two fixtures together. When the screw is loosened, the xtures may rotate relative to each other to change their angular position.

The screw 29 also passes through the lug I 4 and holds the lug and the grounding wire when the latter is placed under the lug or is soldered to the lug in firm and good electrical connection with the xtures.

It is usually most convenient to have the fixtures I0 and II united as shown in.Fig. 1, with the screw 29 at right angles with relation to the screw 23. However, occasionally it is more conv-enient to have these screws arranged in parallel planes, and thus, according to the present invention, the leg Il of the U is provided with a boss 21a and a screw-threaded hole 28a to receive the fixture II and screw 29.

In some situations, it is impossible to bring the fixtures I0 and II into such close proximity that they can directly engage each other as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the fixtures I I! and II may be connected together by a flexible strap 30 as shown in Fig. 3. This may be secured in place under the lug I4 by the head of a bolt 3| passing through the xture II and having at its opposite end a nut 32. The opposite end of the strap 30 may be secured to the fixture I0 by a screw 33 engaging the threads 28 or 28a as desired. The end of the strap under the bolt 3U may be held on the fixture I I against turning by nibs 34.

At the end attached to the grounding pipe xture IB, however, the rotatable relation between the fixture I0 and part to which it is connected is maintained so that it may be adjusted to meet the particular angle at which the grounding pipe happens to be located. If, in making the installation, the ground wire conduit should be too short to permit the xtures IU and Ii to be united as shown in Fig. 1, they may be separated and the strap 3G inserted between them. If other pipes or obstructions prevent the uniting as in Fig. 1, again` the strap 3D may be inserted between them and it may be bent in any way desired to avoid any obstruction that may be present.

The device of the present invention may, as shown in Fig. 6, be made up originally for the service for which the device shown in Fig. 3 is intended. In this event, as shown in Fig. 6, the table-portion i3 may be reduced in size and may be provided with a threaded hole to receive a screw 35, and in this form the lug I4 is omitted because the grounding wire may be placed directly under the strap 30. In the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the nibs 34 are four in number and are so placed that the strap 3i! may extend and be held in alignment with the conduit pipe or at right angles thereto in either direction.

The xture I0 of the present invention may also be advantageously employed in connection with meter shunts. When used for this purpose, two fixtures I0 are employed as shown in Fig. 2. 'I'he fixtures I I are laid aside and the lugs III are placed directly under screws which may be threaded in the holes 28 or 28a. as desired. The

lugs have soldered to them a jumper 3l and, in use, one iixture I0 is secured to the pipe entering the meter box while the other fixture is secured to the pipe leaving the meter box, so as to complete a grounding connection around the meter.

Variations and modiiications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what ls claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:-

1. A ground tting comprising a fixture; means on the fixture for receiving a grounding conductor; a V-shaped jaw solid with said fixture and adapted to engage one side of a grounding pipe or rod; a movable V-shaped jaw opposite the iirst-named V-shaped jaw; and a screw carrying said second V-shaped jaw and threaded in the iixture to advance or retrieve the movable V- shaped jaw, the apexes of the V-shaped jaws being offset with relation to each other.

2. A ground fitting comprising a fixture; means on the fixture including a bendable current-conducting member mechanically and electrically connecting a grounding wire to the tting; a V- shaped jaw solid with said iixture and adapted to engage one side of a grounding pipe or rod; a movable V-shaped jaw opposite the first-named V-shaped jaw; and a screw carrying said second V-shaped jaw and threaded in the iixture to advance or retrieve the movable V-shaped jaw, the apexes of the V-shaped jaws being offset with relation to each other.

`3. A ground tting comprising a U-shaped fixture; means on the xture including another fixture having a table-like portion to receive a grounding conductor and a threaded collar to receive a conduit and adapted to be secured to the first fixture for mechanically and electrically connecting the grounding wire thereto; a V- shaped jaw solid with said rst fixture forming one leg of the U and adapted to engage one side of a grounding pipe or rod; a movable V-shaped jaw opposite the rst-named V-shaped jaw; and a screw carrying said second V-shaped jaw and threaded in the other leg of the U to advance or retrieve the movable V-shaped jaw, the apeXes of the V-shaped jaws being offset with relation to each other.

4. A ground tting comprising a U-shaped xture; means on the xture including another xture mechanically and electrically connected to the first fixture by a bendable current-carrying member; a V-shaped jaw solid with said rst fixture forming one leg of the U and adapted to engage one side of a grounding pipe or rod; a movable V-shaped jaw opposite the first named V-shaped jaw; and a screw carrying said second Vshaped jaw and threaded in the other leg of the U to advance or retrieve the movable V- shaped jaw, the apexes of the V-shaped jaws being offset with relation to each other.

5. A ground fitting comprising a xture; means on the fixture including another xture having a conduit-receiving portion and a conductorreceiving portion. mechanically and electrically connected to the rst fixture by a bendable current-carrying member secured to the first xture by a binding screw to ground the same thereto; a V-shaped jaw solid with said rst fixture and adapted to engage one side of a grounding pipe or rod; a movable V-shaped jaw opposite the rst-named V-shaped jaw; and a screw carrying said second V-shaped jaw and threaded in the iixture to advance or retrieve the movable V- shaped jaw, the apexes of the V-shaped jaws being oiset with relation to each other.

CARL G. BONDESON. 

